


Cave of Wonders

by Gaz042



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-20
Updated: 2020-02-25
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:41:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22816432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gaz042/pseuds/Gaz042
Summary: there is nothing to fear but fear it's self and no other statement was true in the cave of wonders.
Relationships: The Doctor (Doctor Who)/Rose Tyler
Kudos: 6





	1. part one

Rose was happy to see Jack, of course, she was. But she found herself bitter about the new companion that had been hanging around lately. Yeah, she may have been clever, but she was old. And more importantly, she and the Doctor seemed to have this unspoken chemistry. At least that would have been logical. But no, there was something more to it than that. She watched them on the far end of the cave. It was damp, but the only way out was down. Some kind of messed up movie logic that she wouldn’t be able to convince the Doctor made no sense. 

“Jealous?” Jack said with a slight grin on his face as he approached her, looking back to where the Doctor and Missy stood. “If looks could kill.”

“No,” Rose insisted, “I just don’t trust her,” in a way that said she didn’t quite believe her own words. 

“Ah, I see,” in the same way, we both know your full of shit but I wouldn’t tell if you don’t.

Rose turned to give him a serious look. “What do you think, I mean about going further into the cave?”

Jack shrugged, “If the Doctor thinks it's a good idea.” he looked at the two of them, they were looking at some rocks that had some strange carvings on them. 

“That’s the thing,” Rose interrupted, “It wasn’t his idea, it was her. And I think she knows more than she’s letting on.”

“Oh?” Jack’s one eyebrow shot up. “What do you think she’s hiding?” All rose found she could do was shrug. “Doctor says he vouches for her?” his expression now mimicking her’s.

Not too long, two others appeared. They wore clothes that conformed with the clothes of 21 central Earth, if not a little worn and damaged. They were exploring the area when they stumbled on their group and found themself falling down a mine shaft. It was a miracle that none of them broke anything as they fell down that steep slope. One thing was sure, they wouldn’t be able to get back up the same way. 

The women Hellen had no problem with the Doctor’s, or more specifically, Missy’s idea. But Keven, her partner wasn’t as easily persuaded. He raved about cures and demons. He wanted no part in going further into the cave. It was only after Missy took him aside and assured him that everything would be fine and that there was no other way of getting out did he back down.

Hellen led the group with one torch as Keven took up the rear with the other. The Doctor continued to look at the stones they fell on, his face scrunched up. “But what does it mean?”

“I’m sure it’s nothing dear,” Missy said with an almost song-like expression in her voice as she trotted along, weaving in and out of everyone.  
“If the Doctor thinks it’s important, then it probably is,” Rose said trying to hide her resentment towards her. 

“How could you be so joyful,” Keven said with a shaky voice. “Don’t you know where we are? I’ll tell you where we are, we are heading straight to hell. That’s what’s under here. It said to drive people mad. Bring out their darkest fears.”

“Oh shut up,” Helen called from the front. “That’s all superstition. No one listens to him.”

“I don’t know,” Missy said with a grin that no one else was able to see but was easily heard within her voice. “It sounds a bit exciting to me.”

“There is something wrong with you lady.” Keven insisted, Rose found herself in worldly agreement with him. 

“Maybe she is just a little too fond of the dark,” Jack laughed as he spoke, “It’s not necessarily a bad thing.”

The Doctor froze for a moment, not long enough for anyone to notice before shaking his head, “no, can’t be.” 

After another fifteen minutes, they found themself at a dead end, or so it appeared to be. It was the Doctor who first noticed it but Missy was soon all over the cracks that formed a large rectangle. A small amount of air was coming from behind it. Further expansion they noticed the same symbols on the wall, although arranged in a different order.

It wasn’t long until everyone was examining the wall, that is everyone but Keven who kept his distance. Chanting under his breath before warning the others to back away. No one seemed to mind him as they continued to direct their attention to the wall. The Doctor ran his hand down the walk, letting his finger cursing the curves of each symbol.

Missy took a step forward, pointing to a spot right next to where his hand was. “What’s this?” her hand mear inches from his. They both stared at the spot. It almost looked like it was some kind of key socket. 

Before she could help herself Rose step in between the two of them, forcing Missy to take a step back. “Let me see” she felt foolish the moment after she did it but sticking to her guns. She then felt the floor give way under her one foot. Stepping back the three of them looked down. 

“Now what’s that?” he knelt down to pick something up off the ground. “Give me that touch” he waved his hand wildly until Helen placed her’s in his hand. There was a small plate-like object and tucked neatly but the edge of the wall there was a long rod that looked to be the right shape to be placed in what they thought to be a keyhole.  
The Doctor stood up holding the plat, Rose and Missy stood over it. “It looks like clay, it’s surprising you didn’t smash it when it stood on it like that. You out to be more careful.” Missy said as she examined it, still in the Doctor’s hands. Then it wasn’t. Keven backed upholding it tight against his chest.

“Don’t smash it” Missy shouted as she took a few quick steps for him. “We don’t know what it is!” as she spoke he lifted high above his as if he wasn’t sure what he was doing. With a quick thrust, it was on the ground. Not before Missy wrapped her arms around his waist. Everyone stared dumbfounded at the broken clay on the ground. Both Keven and Missy are nowhere to be seen. 

Helen, Jack and Rose huddled around the broken plate. Jack and Rose gathered the peace, trying to fit them back together. The fragments slipping from there fingers multiplying the pieces. “What happened? What are we going to do?” Helen frantically asked, watching the two of them struggle. She looked over to the wall that Doctor was still filling with. “Do something” she shouted without really knowing why.

“I am” he shouted back. He took the rod and was now trying to aline with the hole. Jack noticed this rashed over to help. Within seconds they both got it in. A thundering roar filled the room as dust burst through the edges of the wall. They stood back as the wall routed. The Doctor raised back over to the plate. Comparing it to the rock then the parts of the wall he could still see. “Oh I see!” he said with excitement, looking up to the others who were, even more, confuses now. 

He tours the rod from the wall as he began to scrape the symbols onto the ground. “What’s going on,” Jack demanded as he put his arms in front of Helen and Rose. 

“Oh, but it’s so simple.” the Doctor said with a large grin on his face. “It’s like a computer.” he paused for a moment, “ok, not like that, I’ll explain later.” like that help in making sense of any of it. “I just have to-” he put a few more marks on the ground “and there we go,” he said as he took a step back. A moment later Keven stood in front of them. 

There was a horror in his eyes as he backed up, his hands clasped around his mouth as he collapsed to the ground. Helen went over to try to comfort him but he scared away from her, finding refuge in the corner. “Don’t touch me, don’t hurt me.” 

As Rose and Jack kept a few steps back from where Helen was, trying to convince Keven they didn’t want to cause him any harm the Doctor looked around the room. Concern that no one else seemed to care about at the moment. Before the words, “where is Missy” came from his mouth a flash, the same as when Keven emerges sparked in front of him.

The Doctor reached for Missy’s arms as she grasped onto his. There was a wild look that flashed in her eyes. “Are you alright!” the Doctor asked, she was slightly hunched over one moment, then standing upright the next. A distressed look replaced the fear that was only there a moment ago. She still held onto the Doctor’s arms as she spoke. 

“I’m fine, never better.” she flashed him one of her wicked grins.” very interesting.”

Helen rushed over to her. “Where were you too, what happened to Keven? Why are you alright.” 

She turned to Helen, still grasping at the Doctor with one hand. “Oh, he’ll be fine.” she shooed her off with her free hand. “It was some kind of mental enhancer. Seems it brought out a person’s wildest and ridiculous fears. I’m sure given a few years he will recover fully.”

“A few years?” Helen’s mouth fell open. “Why a few years, and why didn’t affect you?” anger began to rise in her voice. The Doctor had his, there is something I’m missing, and I’m on the verge of figuring it out, look on his face. Or perhaps he had already figured it out. Missy finally realized his hand, for an instant he thought about not letting go. But thought better of it. 

“Because there is nothing I fear. I’m not a fool.” she had a smile on that made Helen want to punch her. 

“Now you listen here.” she began as Rose and Jack grabbed her before she could throw herself at Missy. 

“Hey, now,” Jack said as he pulled her back, breaking her eye contact with Missy. “Fighting here will not accomplish anything. All we can do is move forward. You take Keven and we will all get out of here.” 

She agreed but only after giving both Missy and the Doctor a dirty look. After much persuasion she talked Keven in letting her get close, then talked him into moving forward. They took up the rare as the Doctor and Missy lead the way. Rose and Jack stayed behind, closer to Helen and Keven. 

“I don’t understand,” she whispered to Jack, why is she alright. Poor Keven back there can barely walk, but she looks perfectly fine.”

“Do you really think she’s alright?” Jack asked in all seriousness. Before Rose could answer he pointed forward. “She hasn’t shut up since she got back, she keeps going on about nothing. And look at her arm.” Rose had, she hadn’t let go of the Doctor’s arm this whole time. She found herself becoming more and more Jealous. But she could see where Jack was coming from. But she still had an uneasy feeling about this. Not only that, but the Doctor becomes uncharacteristically quiet.


	2. part 2

The longer they walked the more Keven seemed to be losing it. Starting with mumbling to himself then screaming at things that were not there. Looking around or even walking around thin air. 

“Could you get him to shut up,” Missy instituted as she turned to face both Helen and Keven.

“He’s been thru a lot” Helen shouted at her, trying to hold Keven up from folding in on himself on the ground.

Missy swung around on her heels, “the same exact thing happened to me. I'm doing perfectly fine. He just wants attention.”

“Your so full of it” Helen began. “So it’s normal to be clinging onto another woman’s man.”

Missy looked down at her own hand that set entwined with the Doctor’s as if she just noticed she had been doing this. As she looked up her eyes widened with rage as if she would explode any moment. 

“Ok, calm down ladies' ' Jack interjected, being in between them he held his hands out in case one of them got the idea to go after the other. Both stood their ground. “We have been walking for a long time, why don’t we take a break. We can keep walking in a few minutes.”

By now Keven was a lump on the ground. “Fine” Helen said, crouching down to try to get threw to Keven. Jack nodded to Rose to talk to them. 

Missy pulled her hand away from the Doctor as if she was embraced. “Fine” she said, exasperated as she wondered to the side of the wall where she found some stone she could sit on. “My feet were starting to hurt anyway.” she pulled out a mirror and started to examine her own face. 

Jack was soon standing next to the Doctor, “you're being unusually quiet today.” the Doctor’s eyes fixed on where Missy set as if trying to figure out an impossible riddle. Jack followed his eyes, “who is she?”

“No idea” the Doctor paused, “maybe” he turned to face Jack, “Just keep an eye on her.”

Rose stooped next to Helen and Keven. “How’s he doing?” she asked in a quiet voice. 

She shook her head, “not good” she had her arm around him. “I think he’s seeing and hearing things that are not real.” 

Rose slowly reached over to him, gently laying the tips of her finger on his shoulder. He quickly jumped back, eyeing her as if she was a monster. “Are you real?” he said with a shaky voice. 

“Yeah,” her voice was still quiet as she gave a weak smile. “What are you seeing. Maybe if you talk about it you will feel better. Maybe we can help you.”

He didn’t answer her at first, his eyes shot around again as if following something around the room that was not there. He finally turned to look at Rose. “It the devil, it knows all the bad things I have done.” His eyes became wet as he wrapped his arms around Helen. 

“Why wasn’t she affected by it?” Helen looked at where Missy was sitting. She held her legs outstretched, her head leaning against the rock wall behind her. 

“I think she was” Rose turned to look at her as well, she couldn't make out what was going on with there. Was she being affected the same way keven was? And if so, why didn’t it show the same way?

***

It stood thirty foot tall. Its mouth resembling a red ogre as it crouched over her. His nose is the length of her face. “Why do you ignore me timelord?” his voice raspy and low. “Do you now feel any sympathy for what you have done to everyone one in your life?” Missy continued to lean against the wall, her eyes closed, not acknowledging the demon-like creature that stood over her. Only glancing once when his hairy leg grazed against her own. 

When he saw guilt had no effect on her he began listing her failures. Still, she set still ignoring him. “I don't understand” he continued in his low raspy voice. “The words shouldn’t matter, your brain should be making anything I say sound terrifying. So why is it not working on you?” he shifted so she could now see Rose approaching Jack and the Doctor. She opened her eyes to see the three of them, despite the large protruding teeth something resembling a smile approached the demons face. 

“It must be awful to see your friend, possibly your only friend in the entire universe care about everyone but you.” a gargling laugh came from him.

“I have other friends, my whole life doesn't revolve around the Doctor.” she closed her eyes once more, shifting her weight ever so slightly. 

There was no mistaking the grin on his face now. “He moved on, he only cares about you, he only worries about you when he doesn't know who you are. You have done too much wrong for him to ever except you. There was a time he would kill for you and now look.” he moved his head closer to Missy so his breath the brochure that laid against her collar. “When he finds out what’s going on, he will blame you. He will pick them over you like he always does.  
Missy’s eyes shot open with rage, “shut up!” 

Jack stood in front of her, “wow, I haven't even said anything yet.” he held out his hands in defence with a smile on his face. The demon was gone, for now, she thought as she rolled her eyes. 

“What do you want?” she pulled herself up as he set down.

“Not much, just seeing how you are doing.”

She eyed him suspiciously. “Why?”

Jack laughed at her, “how long have you known the Doctor?” he asked, glancing at where he and Rose stood. She couldn't quite make out what they were saying but she knew it was about whatever was going on. There would be no way they would get any real information from the sniving idiot in the corner. She wouldn’t be surprised if the whole ordeal reduced him to s mumbling twit the rest of his life. She wondered how she would be able to break away from this as well. Though she worried less about that, after all, she was a genius. 

When she didn’t answer Jack cleared his thought. “I mean, how long you personally have known him, doesn't seem he’s known you as long.” She shot him a wicket look. “I know what it's like. Knowing someone longer than they know you.”

She looked down at something around his wrist. “I see, a paradox suppressor? Now what on earth do you have to hide from him I wonder.” 

“Something happens to me in his future, my past. He can’t know about it yet.” she gave her a false smile, she gave him one back. Her’s was much more intense, showing all of her teeth as if she may big him. 

“It wouldn't happen to have anything to do with you not being able to die would it?” Jack’s smile faded as she spoke.

“How did you know about that?”

“Time travel’s a bitch, isn’t it?” Unlike Jack, she still smiled, becoming more intense and intimidating. 

Before Jack could answer, before he could even speak the smile on Missy’s face was gone. Replaced with a look of pure terror. She clasped in on herself as she clung to her own waste. A moment later the Doctor and Rose stood next to her. The Doctor at her side, hands around her upper arms. “Missy? Missy! Are you alright?”


	3. part 3

The Doctor grabbed ahold of Missy, “Talk to me! what’s wrong.” she looked up at him, her hands locked onto his upper arms. She took in a few deep breaths, there was an unspoken terror in her eyes. “I can’t help you unless you tell me what's going on!”

“Oh, right.” she began sarcastically. “I purposely got myself infected by a phobia parasite.” She quickly jumped from looking scared to being defensive. “But according to you everything's my fault isn’t it.” she squished his arms ever so slightly. Up to know the Doctor had his sustenance, he found himself at a loss. Should he still play along, she didn’t outright say it. His mind tried to figure out why she would do this to herself. He always had a reason for doing the things he did. Even if they only made scenes for him. 

Rose took a few steps forward as if to check on her. “Back up,” The Doctor said, shouting louder than intended. Both Rose and Jack were starred by the coldness in his voice. 

“What is it?” Rose asked in a small voice, taking a few steps back so she was now standing next to Jack. 

The Doctor quickly apologized, turning to Missy, who’s grip was losing. She almost seemed to be back to normal. “Fine,” she said with an exposed smile. “I just need to concentrate.” but she wasn't fooling anyone. She tried to get up, stumbling as she tried to move forward. The Doctor caught her, putting an arm around her side. 

“We need to keep moving forward,” she said, not objecting to the Doctor’s help. Soon the whole group was walking through the cave once more, though slightly slower than they originally were going. 

There was a long period of time where no one talked. The Doctor wracked his brain on exactly what was going on. But getting tired of none of his answers feeling right he came right out and asked. “So how is this your fault and why are you doing it?” Rose who was in earshot looked up at him in shock. 

Missy didn’t seem surprised by his question. “Took you long enough to ask.” she let out a half laugh half sigh. “I already told you, I had nothing to do with this.”

He paused, causing her to almost trip. She gave him an annoyed look. “Why on earth would I do this to myself?” she turned to Rose and Jack for back up. “You would blame me if all the universe started clasping on themself? I'm not in the centre of all the bad things that happen in the universe.”

His eyes narrowed as she spoke. “Want to think of a better example?”

She went to open her mouth but stopped. A moment later there was a smile on her face. “Oh right, because of that one time.” a forced laugh came from her as she started walking again forcing the Doctor to follow beside her. “I mean it this time, it's the truth. I have nothing to do with this.”

“What do you mean,” Jack began. “That you almost clasped all the universe onto themself. Why would you do that?” Jack watched her carefully, feeling it was in his, and everyone else's best interest to keep an eye on here.

Missy turned to Jack with a wild smile on her face. “Because it seemed like a good idea at the time.” Her smile made him uncomfortable, he found himself taking a few larger steps, placing himself between her and Rose.

Helen and Keven had been walking so slow now that they missed everything they were saying. Keven continued to mumble about things only Helen could hear. 

“Why are we helping her then?” Rose asked, even more, confused why the Doctor would help someone like her. 

The Doctor turned to her wanting to answer her, but couldn't come up with a reasonable answer. “Because she can talk to us. The only way we are going to be able to help Keven is if we know what’s going on.”

She leaned into him, whispering so that everyone else could hear. “Good answer, I think they may buy it.” she turned slightly to see if it caused a reaction with the others, when it didn’t she turned her attention to the path in front of her. Just as she did she made a full stop, pulling the Doctor back. 

“What was that for '' he shouted as she pointed the lard entryway, emblazed with jewels and words he couldn’t quite make out. If only his the telepathic circuits from the TARDIS that made it possible to read any language was close enough to work, he may have been able to make it out. But more importantly, there seemed to be something lining the sides of the wall. A security system of some sort. 

“What do you think it is?” the Doctor asked, glad she was able to see it before he had passed through.

“Not sure, but I’m guessing it’s not good.”

“Why should we trust you?” Rose found herself getting angrier. There was a time when she got juice from other people when it came to the Doctor, but she had gotten over that. Knowing that she really couldn't be trusted helped. Or at least she thought it would. She found she was just more angry with her.   
“You shouldn’t,” Missy said, turning back to her, she almost seemed back to normal now. If not for a certain amount of concentration that hadn’t been there earlier. 

The Doctor was now examining the frame of the large door. “Any ideas, I’m at a loss.” he turned to the rest of the group. His gaze focused on Keven. “He was talking before like he knew what this was all about.”

“Myths, legends, fairy tales. That’s all,” Helen insisted. “None of it was true.”

“I disagree,” Missy piped in. “some of the most interesting things I have found in my life were based on fairy tales. The more obscure it sounds.” that wicked grin crossed her face once more. “The more powerful and rewording it tends to be.”

“So this is your doing?” The Doctor’s words were not bitter and angry as she sighed. 

“My theory is that anyone who passes through here will have a similar experience as when the plate was broken.” Missy began to walk over to Keven who was back in the fetal position on the ground, next to Helen. “It would probably be best if he came with me.” she loomed over Keven causing him to retreat further behind Helen. 

“Like hell he is,” she piped up, taking a stance against Missy. “As far as I can tell this is all your fault. I’m not letting you anywhere near him.”

Her grin grew in size and threat as she reached up to her own head, for a moment it seemed like she was going to scratch her scalp. As she did this the Doctor reached for her arm, yanking at her hand, now placed like a barrier between the two of them. “I’ll do it. I’ll go in there with you. I have a feeling I could handle it better than him.

His eyes were still as he looked down on her. “How noble of you, sacrificing yourself for someone who’s already too far gone to ever be saved.” she batted her eyes at him that just made him angrier as he dragged her to the entryway. Rolling her eyes she pulled away from him. “No need for that, I'm following you.”

As they entered a small prickling went down the Doctor’s spine as a feeling of dread came over him. He remembered what Missy said about controlling it and it had still been there, it didn’t get any worse. The room that once appeared to be empty before they entered was now full of mountains of gold and gems. The walls shine as they didn’t before. 

He turned around, to see the room they had left looked the same, walls covered in golden, strange words carved in them. Jack and Rose seemed to be taking care of Helen and Keven. He still hasn't figured out what Missy was up to, and from his experience, he didn’t think he would until it was too late. 

As he turned to her she beamed back at him, gestured with her hands around the room as she turned around once. “Kind of has a Cave of wonder feel, doesn't it?”

Her happiness caused him to become angry. This was always a sign that she was about to do something awful. She made an overly exaggerated slumming motion, a grin still on her face. “Oh come off it. My plan doesn't involve any of your pets getting killed.” 

“What about Keven, you did something to him.” he turned back to see him still on the ground, not doing any better.

Missy’s smile replaced with a frown. “I, didn't do anything to him. He did that himself. I was the one who told him not to drop the plate.”

“And you're telling me you didn’t ‘persuade’ him to do that, all to fall into some kind of plane you have?”

“Oh, yes, because you would never do something like that,” she said, drawing out her words. “You’re a saint who-” her words cut short as a large nose of something crashing from the opposite end of the room causes them both to turn their attention off one another.


End file.
